captain-coaches

[Taylor Moss]

Alex Jesaulenko captain-coached Carlton to the 1979 premiership, the last time this ever occurred. Des Tuddenham also was captain-coach of Essendon from 1972-1975.

Love Tuddy

 

[Blues177]

Charlie Sutton is another one. Captain- coached Footscray to the 1954 premiership.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Jack Dyer
Percy Bentley
Ron Barassi
Alex Jesaulenko
Malcolm Blight
Ted Whitten
Dick Reynolds
Bill Hutchison
John Nicholls
Reg Hickey
Jock McHale are just a few, I'm sure people can add plenty more.

Pretty sure Cliff Rankin in 1925?

 

[Occidental]

Some not mentioned yet….
1914 Norm Clarke Captain Coach Premiers
1915 Norm Clarke Captain Coach Premiers
1916 George Holden Captain Coach Premiers
1920 Dan Minogue Captain Coach Premiers
1921 Dan Minogue Captain Coach Premiers
1923 Syd Barker Captain Coach Premiers
1924 Syd Barker Captain Coach Premiers
1937 Reg Hickey Captain Coach Premiers
1938 Brighton Diggins Captain Coach Premiers
1944 Fred Hughson Captain Coach Premiers

 

[DEVO]

The last captain-coach in the AFL/VFL that I know of was Malcolm Blight back in 1981. He coached North Melbourne for the first 16 rounds before resigning as coach after a 6-10 start. Barry Cable returned to North as coach, while Blight returned to just playing and in the first game kicked 11 against Footscray and followed it up with 8 against St Kilda.

Ross Smith captain-coached Ainslie to the 1997 ACTAFL Premiership after retiring from North Melbourne.

 

[Gough]

The last captain-coach in the AFL/VFL that I know of was Malcolm Blight back in 1981. He coached North Melbourne for the first 16 rounds before resigning as coach after a 6-10 start. Barry Cable returned to North as coach, while Blight returned to just playing and in the first game kicked 11 against Footscray and followed it up with 8 against St Kilda.

Ross Smith captain-coached Ainslie to the 1997 ACTAFL Premiership after retiring from North Melbourne.

Blight also captain coached Woodville in the SANFL until he retired in 1985.

 

[emuboy]

Former Adelaide Crows player Darrel Hart was captain-coach of the SANFL team North Adelaide Roosters in 1993-1994, while Peter German from North Melbourne was a playing coach of WAFL team Peel Thunder around 2001, but if there have been any playing coaches in the SANFL or WAFL since then I can't name them.

 

[Gough]

Former Adelaide Crows player Darrel Hart was captain-coach of the SANFL team North Adelaide Roosters in 1993-1994, while Peter German from North Melbourne was a playing coach of WAFL team Peel Thunder around 2001, but if there have been any playing coaches in the SANFL or WAFL since then I can't name them.

Ebert was a playing coach for a couple of years.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Full list
'Games' are games played as coach only (e.g. Blight coached North for 16 games but only played as coach in 12)
caretaker = previous coach sacked/resigned; stand-in = current coach indisposed (illness, state duties)
* premiership as playing coach

Coach	Club 1	Games 1	Notes 1	Club 2	Games 2	Notes 2	Club 3	Games 3	Span
Blight, Malcolm	NM	12							1981
Ditterich, Carl	Me	29							1979-80
Jesaulenko, Alex*	Ca	34	18 as caretaker	St	21	8 as caretaker			1979-81
Tuddenham, Des	Es	69							1972-75
Nicholls, John*	Ca	61							1972-74
Skilton, Bob	Sy	29							1965-66
Barassi, Ron D.	Ca	50							1965-69
Arthur, Graham	Ha	30							1964-65
Murray, Kevin	Fi	34							1963-64
Whitten senior, Ted	WB	174	5 as caretaker						1957-70
Kennedy, John J.	Ha	1	stand-in						1957
Davis, Bob	Ge	1	stand-in						1956
Stephen, Bill	Fi	48							1955-57
Foote, Les	St	33							1954-55
Donald, Wally	WB	3	stand-in						1952-53
Ruthven, Allan	Fi	55							1952-54
Clegg, Ron	Sy	38	4 as stand-in						1951-59
McLaren, George	WB	1	stand-in						1951
Green, Fred	St	9							1951
Sutton, Charlie*	WB	73							1951-56
Kyne, Phonse	Co	7							1950
Lane, Gordon	Sy	47							1950-52
Smith, Norm W.	Fi	17							1949-50
Albiston, Alec	Ha	56							1947-49
Hird senior, Allan	St	38							1946-47
Ruddell, Cec	Es	2	stand-in						1945-46
Hillard, Norm	Fi	1	stand-in						1945
Shea, Keith	Ha	8							1945
Harris, Dick D.	Ri	4	stand-in						1944
Lahiff, Tommy	Ha	1							1944
Arklay, Tom	Ge	7							1944
Plummer, Elton	Es	7	stand-in						1944
Olliver, Arthur	WB	127							1943-50
Hughson, Fred*	Fi	95							1943-47
Findlay, Bill	NM	21	6 as caretaker						1942-43
Garvin, Reg	St	24							1942-43
Beames, Percy	Me	46							1942-44
Griggs, Les	Es	1	stand-in						1941
Ware, Norm	WB	33							1941-42
Knight, Jack	St	13							1941
Dyer senior, Jack*	Ri	159							1941-49
Adamson, Jim	NM	11	caretaker						1940
Carter, F. Wally	NM	3	caretaker						1940
Everett, Allan	Ge	12	caretaker						1940
Mills, Bert	Ha	34							1940-41
Reynolds, Dick****	Es	218	9 as caretaker						1939-51
Thomas, Len	Ha	16		NM	5				1939-40
Matthews, J. Herbie	Sy	16							1939
Forbes, Keith	NM	31							1938-39
Clarke, Ansell	St	26							1938-40
Titus, Jack	Ri	2	stand-in						1937-41
Dibbs, Charlie	Ge	7							1936
Bunton, Haydn	Fi	18							1936
Baggott, Jack	Es	19							1936-37
Diggins, Brighton*	SM	2	stand-in	Ca	31				1935-40
McAlpine, Ivan	Ha	50							1935-37
Watson, Colin	St	17							1934
Bentley, Percy*	Ri	127							1934-40
Cashman, Jack	Fi	2							1934
Morrison, Alby	WB	16							1934-35
Twomey, Bill P.	Ha	10	9 as caretaker						1933-34
Deane, Col	St	3							1933
Bisset, Jack*	Sy	72							1933-36
Taylor, Dick J.	NM	36	10 as caretaker						1932-34
King, Stuart	St	8							1932
Leonard, Johnny	Sy	12							1932
Cameron, Charlie J.	NM	4							1932
Hickey, Reg*	Ge	86	11 as caretaker						1932-40
Campbell, Garnet	Es	47							1931-33
Lewis, Johnny Francis	NM	18							1930
Cubbins, Bill	St	18		WB	32				1930-32
Harris, John D.	Ha	34							1930-31
Hopkins, Allan	WB	15							1930
Niven, Colin	Fi	24							1930-31
Ringrose, Doug	Fi	10	caretaker						1929
Coghlan, Arthur	Ge	32	1 as stand-in						1929-32
Fitzmaurice, Tom	Ge	8		NM	7	caretaker			1928
Sutton, Bert	Ha	15							1928
Tyson, Charlie	NM	21							1928-29
Rattray, Gordon	Fi	5							1928
Warne-Smith, Ivor	Me	84							1928-32
Scanlan, Paddy	WB	33							1927-28
Donnelly, Gerry	NM	9	caretaker						1926
Pannam, Charlie E.	Sy	45							1926-28
Brew, Ray	Ca	37							1926-28
Morris, Mel	Ri	15							1926
Rankin, Cliff*	Ge	57							1925-27
McCarthy, Con	WB	16							1925
Maher, Frank	Es	56							1925-27
O'Brien, Paddy	Ca	2	interim						1925
Chadwick, Bert*	Me	49		Ha	17				1925-29
Hagger, Lloyd	Ge	14							1924
Barker senior, Syd**	Es	38	6 as caretaker	NM	9				1922-27
Clover, Horrie	Ca	39	10 as caretaker						1922-27
Cazaly, Roy	Sy	16							1922
Wilson, Percy	Me	43							1921-23
Wood, Artie	Sy	16							1921
Hislop, Max	Ri	1	stand-in						1920
Ogden, Percy	Es	17	4 as caretaker						1920-21
Eason, Alec	Ge	16							1920
Minogue, Dan**	Ri	94		Ha	1				1920-26
Hiskins, Arthur	Sy	15							1920
Haines, George	Me	14		St	1				1919-27
Maybury, Percy	Ri	10							1917
Holden, George*	Fi	40							1916-19
McKenzie, Jack Joseph	Me	16							1915
Orchard, Billy	Ge	15							1914
McNamara, Dave	St	39							1914-23
Belcher, Vic	Sy	51							1914-17
Wells, Jack	Ca	12							1913
Parratt, Percy*	Fi	84							1913-21
Kelly, Harvey	Sy	19							1913
Clark, Norman	Ca	11							1912
Eason, Bill	Ge	32							1912-13
McHale, Jock*	Co	97							1912-20
Incigneri, Len	Ri	16		Me	17				1911-14
Belcher, Alan	Es	19							1910
Thomas, Bill D.	Sy	38							1910-11
Eicke, Wels	St	27		NM	20				1919-26
Elliott, Fred	Ca	43	8 as caretaker						1909-11
Smith, Jimmy M.	St	1							1909
Ricketts, Charlie*	Sy	36		Ri	3		St	5	1909-14
Angus, George*	Co	49							1909-11
Smith, Dave	Es	37							1908-09
Grace, Mick	St	16							1908
Rowell, Ted	Co	10							1907-08
Hall, Alec	St	1							1906
Condon, Dick	Co	33		Ri	32				1905-09

 

[brad5668]

Gerard Neesham from 1987 and 88 was a captain coach at Claremont, and a playing coach in 1989. Claremont won flags in 1987 and 89, and were runners up to Subiaco in 1988.

 

[00Stinger]

The whole captain-coach thing just seems so weird

Imagine being called into your boss' office and told you were being sacked as coach. But then be expected to front up an perform on the field for the same team a few days later

 

[Bluelegs]

Heaps of people have Captain, Coached in the AFL and you would only have to google AFL to find the answer. SANFL & WAFL history is not included in the AFL. And the correct answer to everyone's question is Alex Jesaulenko at StKilda in 1981. He retired as a player in round 8 that year and continued as non playing coach till the end of the 1982 season. Malcolm Blight was the last person as a playing Coach for Nth Melbourne in 1981 but was not Captain that year. He was sacked as Coach in round 16 that year but continued playing! Thankyou, your welcome!

Did you actually create an account just to necro this thread?

 

[Vindicater]

Did you actually create an account just to necro this thread?

Good on him.

 

[North park]

Heaps of people have Captain, Coached in the AFL and you would only have to google AFL to find the answer. SANFL & WAFL history is not included in the AFL. And the correct answer to everyone's question is Alex Jesaulenko at StKilda in 1981. He retired as a player in round 8 that year and continued as non playing coach till the end of the 1982 season. Malcolm Blight was the last person as a playing Coach for Nth Melbourne in 1981 but was not Captain that year. He was sacked as Coach in round 16 that year but continued playing! Thankyou, your welcome!

Malcolm Blight was the last playing coach in the V/AFL in Round 16 of 1981. It is correct that Blight was not captain-coach though. Wayne Schimmelbusch stayed as captain even though Blight was playing alongside him as coach. In fact, Blight was never appointed as captain of North Melbourne at any time in his career.

The last captain-coach in the V/AFL was Alex Jesaulenko who played his last game in Round 8 of 1981 before retiring as a player but remaining as coach of St. Kilda. Remarkably, Jesaulenko's last game as a player in Round 8 was against North Melbourne with the Blight-coached Roos winning by 104 points. So it was not only the last game with a captain-coach, but also the last game where two playing coaches opposed each other.

 

[spudmaster]

Would back Sammy Mitchell in to still get a few touches if we have a s**t run with injuries next year.
Heck, ditto Harvey if he's kept up his fitness.

 

[Bollox]

The last one was effectively Brendon Goddard at Dons 2013.
Walked into a storm and did a great job holding them together.
Never seems to get enough cred and praise for that season. Got a cpl of wins when everyone said zero chance of any. Professional.